For more than 30 years, Hank Cardello was an executive and adviser to some of the largest food and beverage corporations in the world. For more than 30 years, he watched as corporate profits - and America's waistlines - ballooned: fattening consumers meant fattening profits. Now, in this fascinating and timely book, Cardello offers a behind-the-scenes look at the business of food, providing an insider's account of food company practices, failed government regulations, and misleading media coverage that have combined to place us in the middle of a national obesity epidemic.

With insights culled from Cardello's time in the food industry, Stuffed explores how food companies have spent the last 50 years largely ignoring healthier fare in the name of their bottom lines while pushing consumers toward convenience food and supersize portions without considering the health consequences. From grocery aisles to restaurant booths to boardrooms, Cardello reveals the hidden forces that have long shaped your supermarket purchases and menu selections. He examines the black-and-white mind-set that has produced the carefully targeted marketing strategies that have maximized profits for the food industry and led to weight gain for you.

But Cardello makes clear that the food companies should not take all the blame. They are merely a cog in a larger system that's broken, and here Cardello illustrates how the government and the media have only made it harder for Americans to make nutritious choices.

Highlighting both bit players and high-profile voices of change, Cardello explains the fundamental risks to one-size-fits-all regulatory solutions and the bigger dangers posed by letting the food pundits confuse the health conversation.

More than simply a chronicle of how we got here, Stuffed also puts forth a groundbreaking blueprint for the future of the food industry. In debunking the common myth that healthier has to mean higher costs and unpal... Download and start listening now!

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Listener Opinions

by William Blair | 2/19/2014

" A contrarian's view of the obesity epidemic in America. The author does not discount individual eater's responsibilities, but makes a case that they frequently have limited choices for a variety of reasons that are not necessarily the fault of restaurants and the food industry, but that only those corporations that bring us raw and prepared food can realistically do anything about. Regardless of whether or not you buy his argument, it's interesting reading on how the food industry works from a former insider (executive and brand management positions at Coke, General Mills, etc.). Besides, I learned a lot about how to read those new food labels, how they sometimes carry misinformation (and not always intentionally), and the shortcomings of the new food pyramid. "

by Laura | 1/11/2014

" This was an interesting look at the food industry from an insider's point of view. I liked that he assigned obesity blame evenly, and that he understood the ecomonics behind some of the food problems (like vending machines in schools). I think that some of his solutions work (like adding more water to vending machines), but others are way too 'big brother' for me. I also don't think that restaurants and food manufacturers are as responsible as the author solving the problem. And his claim that the 100-calorie products taste as good as the real thing are just false. Those 100 calorie hostess snack cakes are gross! "

by Wende Watkins | 1/6/2014

" Couldn't get thru book "

by Patra | 12/29/2013

" This book started interesting, but quickly became boring. This author is not a writer and it shows. He was redundant and took too long to explain the problems and his solutions. It could have been a much shorter book. I also strongly disagreed with his conclusion that we need to be tricked into being healthy because we aren't capable of regulating ourselves. "

" This book provided an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the food industry -- restaurants, supermarkets, manufacturers, etc. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but lost a bit of interest in the second half when the author focused more on what we do about the problem. Though, in my opinion, a quick read that is worth the time. "

Jas | 12/20/2013

" Horrible book. Could not get past the first 50 pages. Hank Cardello does not know how to write.His writing takes the reader in circles, repeating what he had said in the paragraph before. "

Dawn | 12/9/2013

" The book had some ideas but they were just badly written. As the author is not a writer by trade it comes across as strangely written. The ideas don't seem to flow. "

Mark | 11/27/2013

" Nothing new, rather skewed/biased information, and book gets worse and worse as the chapters go on. "

Alice | 11/25/2013

" So who or what is really "stuffing" America? Author not only presents viewpoints but also potential solutions & the shared responsibility btwn private & public sectors to work together. There's also an amusing chapter dedicated to the cupcake. "

Jamie | 11/5/2013

" Although I found the author's perspective on changing the diet of Americans interesting at times, his dismissal of personal responsibility is alarming. Further, his idea of the "healthy cupcake" was disgusting. Renaming the cupcake and positioning it as a reward snack was downright appalling. "

Brea Jones | 9/24/2013

" this would be great if you've never read fast food nation or omnivore's dilemma but since i had, it just made me hungry. "

Amy | 3/13/2013

" Good book with interesting information, but a bit boring. Some parts I really got into, others I just wanted the book to be over. "

Dianne Cousins | 1/28/2013

" Good read for someone who really never thinks about all the crap they eat. Just confirmed what I already knew about food but it was interesting to hear about the marketing approaches and history of convenience food "

Lisa | 4/18/2012

" Interesting, quick read by a former food exec. I'm so used to the foodielite view on food, it's really different for me to be getting an industry perspective. "

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